Guest Column: District 205 takes a turn for the better

I’d like to take a moment to tell you what a pleasure it is to be the Rockford School Board president. In less than three months our School District has taken a 180-degree turn for the better. How? Read on.

By Harmon Mitchell

Rockford Register Star

By Harmon Mitchell

Posted Jul. 29, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 29, 2011 at 10:21 AM

By Harmon Mitchell

Posted Jul. 29, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 29, 2011 at 10:21 AM

I’d like to take a moment to tell you what a pleasure it is to be the Rockford School Board president. In less than three months our School District has taken a 180-degree turn for the better. How? Read on.

We have a local, well-seasoned interim school superintendent, Dr. Robert Willis, whose top priority is serving students, and his best skill appears to be avid listening. Combining those two factors results in one highly competent individual who is sure to leave this district in far better shape than he found it.

We have a new leadership team comprising well-educated and experienced individuals, many locally raised, whose combined professional demeanor, heartfelt dedication to this district and ability to assess a problem and develop a solution to fix it show great promise for our future. We are grateful to have Earl Dotson Jr., Martha Hayes, Dr. Ehren Jarrett and Matthew Vosberg join our existing skilled leadership team.

The financial outlook for the district is far better than any of us could have imagined. We received our full early-childhood state grant. The loss of state funding in other areas won’t be as dire as we had imagined. We still project fallen revenue, so have had to make some cuts, but fewer than we had anticipated, and we are in a better position than many districts across the state and across the country.

Our teachers union is working diligently with us to reach a contract settlement and to give and take in a professional bargaining process. We are making progress.

The district is reaching out to various community segments through meetings with public officials, well-respected pastors and local leaders. We have formed three community committees to help people feel engaged and give much-needed direction to the district. The upcoming addition of new communication tools will further help people contribute to RPS 205.

The district has begun to instill trust and open up communication with parents, community members and the media. They deserve the School District’s time, resources and information. We will continue to reach out and make their inquiries feel welcome.

We also welcome our new School Board members, Ronnell Moore, Laura Powers, Tim Rollins and Ken Scrivano. Their experience and dedication complement our existing skilled and hardworking board members. In less than three months, we’ve taken action on many fronts, conducting eight special board meetings (six were all day), plus all of our regularly scheduled board and committee meetings. We are dedicated to helping this district thrive and are appreciative of the outpouring of support we’ve recently received through many positive phone calls and emails.

Contact me or my fellow School Board members or our district administrators with any thoughts — we welcome your input. Find our contact information at www.rps205.com. We thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

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Harmon Mitchell is president of the Rockford School District Board of Education.